1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to containers used by artists to transport supplies and, more particularly, to portable art supply boxes.
Artists often travel in the field to remote locations for inspiration and whilst in search of subject matter. When a suitable landscape is found, wildlife is sighted, or a particularly pleasing sunrise or sunset is seen, the artist typically makes a crude sketch of the scene noting that which is significant and omitting detail of that which is not deemed especially important.
For example, an artist may sketch the colors of a sunset while simultaneously taking a photograph to capture more of the surrounding landscape detail. Later the artist will use his "field sketch" along with the photograph to paint the formal painting in whatever medium he chooses at his studio.
Artists must carry certain essential materials in the field in order to be able to compose a preliminary type of sketch. At a minimum an artist needs to transport into the field a board upon which to do the sketch (often referred to as either a panel board or a canvas board), a medium such as a variety of oil base paints, a palette to mix the paints, an easel to hold the board, assorted brushes, and paint thinner. Depending upon the preferences of each artist, other supplies will also be required.
However, the problem encountered by most artists is that it is difficult to transport these items into the field conveniently, and at minimum weight. Boxes have been fashioned to contain and to transport most of these essential art supplies. These types of boxes are often referred to in general as "artist sketch boxes".
However present types of artist sketch boxes either are too large and heavy to be comfortably transported into remote areas, or they require the artist to compromise his needs by either leaving behind certain items that he would desire to transport or modifying equipment to fit into the available space. For example, it is not uncommon to require artists to cut off the handles from their paint brushes so that the shortened brushes can fit inside the compartment space of compact types of artist sketch boxes.
As is a common practice while making field sketches, the artist will typically support both the easel and the palette by hand. However, many prior types of artist sketch boxes include the palette area for mixing the paints as a part of the base assembly of the sketch box or include the easel which holds the sketch boards as a part of the lid of the box. Either of these types of designs is difficult to hold because the artist must support the full weight of the sketch box instead of just the weight of the easel and palette while making his preliminary type of sketch.
Accordingly there exists today a need for an artist sketch box that conveniently accommodates the most essential art supplies required for making field sketches while providing a light in weight integrated palette and easel assembly.
2. Description of Prior Art
Art supply boxes, generally, are known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 961,629 to Maynard, Jun. 14, 1910; PA1 2,515,703 to Dumas, Jul. 18, 1950; PA1 2,648,933 to Brooks et al, Aug. 18, 1953; PA1 2,804,226 to Freedman, Aug. 27, 1957; PA1 2,940,200 to Endlich, Jun. 14, 1960; PA1 4,372,630 to Fuhri, Feb. 8, 1983; PA1 4,638,909 to Ford, Jan. 27, 1987; PA1 5,014,850 to Huff, May 14, 1991.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.